MLB Top 10s: Best of '14? Doesn't get any better than Trout, Kershaw

by Dayn Perry | Baseball Writer

Sep. 23, 2014 10:29 AM ET

In the Eye On Baseball Top 10s, here's what we do: rank players according to criteria. Those criteria change depending upon week and whim, but the Top 10s always will be informed by some angle or another, painfully contrived or otherwise.

And that brings us to this week's guiding query: Who have been the best players of the 2014 season?

As the question strongly implies, this is all about the position players and pitchers who have provided the most value in this, the 2014 season. I'm not interested in team-dependent definitions of the word "best" or "value." This is because team-dependent definitions of the word "best" or "value" are patently silly. So a team's place in the standings will have no bearing on these rankings. As always, defense and base-running matter for position players. It's not about the bat only.

Omissions? Derek Jeter will not be among those honored, in large part because he hasn't been very good. But there his name is -- Derek Jeter -- just the same. Derek Jeter. Did you hear that he's retiring? Derek Jeter.

And now let us recite baseball names for the dual purposes of SEO and making you angry. Feel free to brandish your incorrect opinions and make idle threats in the comments section.

Weapons-grade complaints and spleen-venting? By all means, reach out to the author at hotmail@hotmail.jpg.

There's no obvious best player in baseball this season, but Trout gets the nod. He's batting .291/.382/.568 (171 OPS-plus) while adding value on the bases and being a daily presence in center field (685 plate appearances and counting). Trout also leads the AL in RBI and paces the majors in runs scored, total bases and extra-base hits.

Stanton's season is done, of course, thanks to taking a pitch to his face. Regardless of what the future holds for the young slugger (here's hoping for a full and swift recovery), his 2014 was an excellent age-24 campaign. In 145 games, he mashed an NL-leading 37 homers and batted .288/.395/.555.

In the first half, he was one of the most devastating power threats in baseball. In the second half, he was one of the most complete hitters in baseball. Add it up, and you can call Abreu just one of the best: .319/.385/.589 (MLB-leading 172 OPS-plus) with 35 homers and 35 doubles.

Altuve has a majors-leading 220 hits and counting and a line of .345/.381/.458 (excellent by the standards of middle infielders), and he's stolen 54 bases in 63 attempts. Is there a more enjoyable player to watch right now?

Ruthlessly consistent, relentlessly durable. For the eighth straight season, Cano has played in at least 150 games. As well, his line of .320/.386/.462 comes to an OPS-plus of 143, which is right in line with his peak-level norms. What a ballplayer.

Joey Bats enjoyed his best season since 2011 and his healthiest season since 2010. In 149 games, he's logged an MLB-leading OBP of .404, and he's also chipped in 34 homers. Bautista also boasts more walks than strikeouts.

In the current high-strikeout era, V-Mart stands out. This season, he's drawn 65 walks against just 40 strikeouts. And he's making contact at an elite rate despite, it would seem, hitting for power: 31 homers and a .563 SLG as the regular season draws to a close.

In 190 1/3 innings, he's pitched to a 1.80 ERA and allowed only three unearned runs. As well, Kershaw has struck out 228 batters against only 31 unintentional walks. He's also kept the ball in the park (nine homers allowed) and logged 23 quality starts in 26 trips to the mound. He's done it all, that is.

A decline in velocity hasn't prevented King Felix from being anything less than a top-tier ace. In addition to working 226 innings, Hernandez leads the AL in ERA, ERA-plus and WHIP. He's also averaging more than seven innings per start.

He missed time because of an elbow injury earlier this season, but the body of work remains dominant: 168 IP, 2.20 ERA, 177 ERA-plus, career-best 5.50 K/BB ratio. It's easy to forget that he's still only 25 years of age.

Cueto's 227 2/3 innings leads the NL, and he also checks in with a 2.33 ERA and 155 ERA-plus. In 27 of 32 starts, he's given up three or fewer runs. He's also gone at least six innings in 27 of 32 starts.

Hamels missed more than a month because of shoulder tendinitis, but since getting healthy he's been at his best ever. After 28 starts and 189 2/3 innings, he's pitched to a 2.47 ERA (149 ERA-plus), and he's struck out almost a batter per frame.

The reigning AL Cy Young-winner has turned in another fine campaign in advance of free agency. Scherzer has worked 214 1/3 innings, logged an ERA of 3.19 and struck out 27.7 percent of opposing batters while walking only 7.5 percent of same.

The last time Lester failed to log a quality start? June 7, when he was still a member of the Red Sox. In 21 starts for those Red Sox, Lester notched an ERA of 2.52 and a K/BB ratio of 4.66. In 10 starts for the A's, he's got an ERA of 2.20 and a K/BB ratio of 4.00. Simply put, the veteran lefty (and pending free agent) has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball this season.

Breakout! Thanks to increased reliance on his sinker, Keuchel has crafted a ridiculous 3.30 ground-ball/fly-ball ratio, which has helped him allow only 11 homers in 200 innings of work. He's also logged an ERA of 2.93 on the season.

Key Stats:
200.0 IP,
12-9 W-L,
0 SV,
2.93 ERA,
146 Ks,
48 BB

All stats and rankings by position listed are as of 09/23/2014 11:12:49